Lemon Cheesecake

Add a little tang to traditional cheesecake with a lemon infusion and homemade cranberry sauce.

Ingredients

1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed

½ cup + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

8 tablespoons butter, melted

1 pound cream cheese

1 pound mascarpone cheese

2 lemons, zested and juiced

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

4 whole large eggs

Cranberry Sauce:

1 cup whole cranberries

2 cups water

½ cup granulated sugar

1 lemon, zested

Preparation

Heat the oven to 350°F.

Mix together the graham crackers, butter and 1 tablespoon sugar. Press firmly into the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake the crust until golden, about 10 minutes, and cool.

Turn the oven down to 300°F. In an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, mascarpone, lemon zest and juice, vanilla extract and salt. Mix until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, completely incorporating before adding the next. When all the eggs have been added, pour batter into the springform pan and bake until the cheesecake rises slightly, is light golden brown on top, and still slightly wobbly in the center, 45-55 minutes. Carefully remove from oven and cool on the counter for 1 hour. Transfer to the refrigerator until completely cool, 2-3 hours more.

While the cake is cooling, combine all of the ingredients for the cranberry sauce in a small sauce pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the cranberries have broken down and the sauce begins to thicken, 30-40 minutes. Puree and strain the cranberry sauce and chill.

For neat slices of cheesecake use a clean knife dipped in hot water before each slice. Serve with chilled cranberry sauce.